Sexual dysfunction disorders or problems can occur in adult men of any age, but may be more common in aging men or men with other health-related conditions. The most common sexual dysfunction disorders in men include erectile dysfunction (e.g., impotence), ejaculation disorders (e.g., premature ejaculation, inhibited ejaculation, retrograde ejaculation) and inhibited sexual desire (e.g., reduced libido). Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a sexual dysfunction disorder affecting the ability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual performance or activity and can be associated with certain diseases and conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders (e.g., atherosclerosis, hypertension), nerve damage, injury to the penis, etc. Other male sexual dysfunction problems, such as inhibited sexual desire or low libido can be associated with low levels of the hormone testosterone as well as other medical diseases or conditions, including diabetes and hypertension.
The prevalence of sexual dysfunction in men is estimated as being high (e.g., about 30% of adult men). For example, ED affects as many as 30 million men in the United States, including up to 30 to 50 percent of men between the ages of 40 and 70. Many factors and diseases (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease) can cause or contribute to the various forms of sexual dysfunction and diagnostic testing, such as blood tests (e.g., for hormone levels), vascular assessment (e.g., evaluation of blood flow to the penis), sensory testing (e.g., measurements of the strength of nerve impulses) and nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity testing (e.g., to rule out psychological causes of ED) are performed to assess the likely treatment protocols to be administered to address the sexual dysfunction. Treatments often only address specific sequelae (e.g., individual symptoms or indications) of the sexual dysfunction as opposed to an underlying condition or disease; however, such treatments may be combined with other medications (e.g., anti-hypertensive therapy, diabetic/insulin-regulating therapies, etc.) administered for health-related conditions either causing, contributing, or associated with the sexual dysfunction. Accordingly, many patients can be required to combine multiple treatment programs for treating these conditions and/or complications separately. For example, men diagnosed with ED can be prescribed medications that increase blood flow to the penis (e.g., sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, avanafil, etc.), supplemental hormone therapy (e.g., testosterone replacement therapy), and medical devices (e.g., vacuum devices, penile implants, etc.). Such pharmacologic and/or medical device use strategies, however, have significant limitations including limited efficacy, side effects, long-term maintenance regimens, and others.